Bitten
by Phoenixasending
Summary: Velkan fights the curse of the werewolf's bite and meets and exotic woman who may be able to help him alter his fate. And find the future he didn't think he would have. Reviews are fabulous and much loved.
1. Bitten

Author's Note: I've finally gotten around to updating chapter 1 (probably should have done that first, eh?). Because this is basically just a spit and polish on the original chapter I haven't run it through my usual beta before posting it. She's been busy and I don't want to keep pestering her about this despite her endless patience so I'm letting all off be my beta. I'm sure if there are any major anomalies people will tell me. Right?

Disclaimer: I do not own Van Helsing or any characters therein except for Mara and Kai. This goes for all future chapters until I introduce other OC's because I'm too lazy to keep typing disclaimers.

**Updated 11/01/2007 **

* * *

He crawled out of the water onto the dry land coughing, The muddy soil of the bank giving beneath his hands threatened to send him back into the fast moving water. His arms and legs ached with the force of the fall and the strain of pulling himself out of the swirling current. His head pounded. A dull and steady rhythm behind his eyes as he collapsed onto the bank and there was a sharp pain in his chest that he felt he should look at, but could not bring himself even to lift his head.

Gradually the tempo in his skull slowed and lifted, leaving him staring up at the cloud covered sky. He could feel the darkness at the edge of his consciousness still tugging at him, tempting him to give up his hold on the world and slip into oblivion. He fought the pull with the same single-mindedness with which he had gone after Dracula's servant… the werewolf….

Something about that last thought should have worried him, he realized it, but he could not get his mind to focus. Thoughts and memories came to him as fragmented as the droplets of water thrown about in the river. Slowly his vision grayed and the world swam around him going dark.

A voice came, out of the darkness. Too soft to be understood clearly but sounding vaguely familiar, a voice he had heard in other dreams, in his nightmares. He tried to make out what it said but could only get ideas and impressions that he needed to move, to go somewhere he should not but the voice was persuasive and the pull strong. Just as it seemed he must give in, something cool and gentle brushed through his mind and the pull receded to a small whisper. Slowly the darkness dimmed and lightened and he opened his eyes to stare up at the vast expanse of clear sky. The sun was hanging down a finger's breadth from the western horizon, telling him he had been unconscious for the better part of the day.

With a groan he tried to push himself up into a sitting position, the sudden weight of hands pressed against his chest held him down. Before he could think to struggle a head came into his line of vision hiding the sun, and he found himself staring up into a face shadowed by long hanging locks of dark red hair that brushed his face. The sun shining low on the horizon behind them as it set created a soft golden-orange halo that hid the features and gender of the stranger.

It spoke, softly in a musical language that Velkan did not understand. The strange sound of a foreign tongue cleared the remaining fog from his mind until he could finally think and his last coherent memory surfaced. The werewolf lunging at Anna…himself knocking her away as the beast was air born and his fall over the cliff. The pain in his shoulder! He swore mentally as he twisted his head around to inspect it and found a bloody semicircle the size of his palm where the werewolf's teeth had sunk. He had been marked. With another groan, this one holding more despair than pain, he closed his eyes and tried to push himself up again. A sharp pain shot through his body and he winced, the sound of leaves rustling telling him that the figure tending him was backing up hurriedly.

"Who…who are you?" He asked, sitting up slowly. The being spoke again in the strange tongue and turned to inspect the bank of the river. From his vantage point he could see that it was picking some some plants along the the soft mud of the river. The figure turned to point a sharp look in his direction and the shadows angled so that now he now saw the fine, high cheekbones and full lips set in a very feminine face.

_ A woman, _he thought. _And__ she looks human, but that does not mean much here_.

She spoke again, her voice a low alto, and pushed the flat of her hand toward the ground. Velkan took this to mean that he should lie back down.

_ The Hell, _he thought as he tried to summon the strength to stand. _I am not sitting caked in mud for any longer than I have to. _

Before he could actually stand, the woman returned with a handful of broad-leafed plants and flowers in one hand and a handful of mud in the other. She approached him confidently though her eyes never left him as she came closer, watching him for any signs of sudden attack. Though wary, she did not seem as if she was scared, merely as if she wanted to be ready for it if an attack happened. She knelt beside him and pulled back the remnants of his shirt from over the bite as he watched with interest.

_ After all, _he reasoned. _If she was going to kill me or try to take me prisoner I would have woke up bound or not at all. _

He watched as she ground the flowers into a paste on her palm and smoothed them over the bloody mess of his shoulder. The leaves came next, covering the entirety of the bite and were sealed on by the mud in what he belatedly recognized as a makeshift bandage. He felt the pain recede as the strange woman studied the bandage for a moment, assuring herself that it would stay on, then backed away.

Using his other arm he pushed himself off the ground and stood, quickly bracing himself against an upturned rock as the world spun slightly in warning. As the dizziness faded he turned his attention to the thick undergrowth of the forest where a path lay waiting to take him back to his sister.

_ Anna. _He thought. _She must think I'm dead. I can't wait to see the look on her face when she sees…._ He shook his head. _No, I can'__t go back. If Anna sees I've been bitten she will be crushed. _Velkan swore softly. As far as the last of his family were concerned he was dead. He turned back to look for the one who had helped him, maybe she would at least offer him a place to stay before the curse of the werewolf started taking effect and he had to leave. When he turned to look for her, she was gone.

He shook his head exhausted and stumbled off into the woods. The sun was sinking behind the clouds and soon it would be night. Not a full moon though. Thank God. The forest darkened and his eyes adjusted. In the falling shadow his tired eyes thought they saw the form of a small human racing through the trees beside him. The last of the light fled and the shadow form vanished as thoroughly as his life, all from one bite.


	2. Out of the woods

I do not own Van Helsing or any of the characters there in and am not making any money from this fanfiction or any other for that matter, which is a shame 'cause I need a car. However I will pay a handsome reward of three shiny pennies to whomsoever can bring me prince Valken alive and wrapped in a pretty bow. … = telepathic speech. I hope you enjoy

Valken trudged through the pitch black woods, the underbrush cracking beneath his feet and the branches of trees tearing his clothing. He swore as another branch ripped through his battered sleeve and scratched the skin beneath. Glancing down at the scrape his eyes grew wide as it closed and healed before his eyes. He had known he was infected but had not really made the connection until this moment.

_Well thank God for small mercies at least. _He thought. _Last night was the last night of the full moon, so I have another twenty eight days until…._ He really did not want Anna to have to kill him. _It would destroy her._

He sighed deeply, and leaned back against the gnarled trunk of a tree, relishing the feel of bark and knots pressing into his still human skin. The pull in the back of his mind tried to draw him onward. It was not as strong as it had been when he first crawled onto the bank but it was still there. _I could follow it but I have a sinking feeling I know where it leads, still…._ He thought, staring up through the thick cover of leaves up at the stars. _It will be the closest anyone in has gotten to the monster in centuries. If I am doomed already I might as well try and take him with me._

His chest started heaving and it took him a minute to realize he was laughing. A deep sound welling from the depth of his belly and doubling him over with the force of it. _Yes, that's right. Do what no other werewolf in the last five hundred years has been able to do and turn on The Beast. He owns me now. _The laughter stopped as the thought sobered him up. _I might as well just give in to this pull and let it take me back to him._

He spun around and hit the tree hard with his fist, glaring at the shards of wood that went flying off from the force of the blow.

"NEVER!" He screamed into the darkness, not caring who heard him. Or what. _If he wants me then he will get me but not until he drags me there with his own two hands!_ Turning angrily around Valken ran off into the woods, as far in the opposite direction from the pull as he could get. From the shadows, two wary pairs of eyes watched him leave. One set golden and one set green, both with the slit pupils characteristic of cats.

He has spirit. The owner of the golden eyes growled, following the young man's movements with a predatory stare.

Yes he does. But it won't be enough. Came the reply from the green eyes.

Are you sure you want to interfere, Mara? The green eyes closed as their owner nodded.

Never more certain, Kai

A darker shadow detached from the trees and moved like liquid through the forest after the young prince.

Velkan ran, knowing that no matter how fast and far he went, if he didn't concentrate, he would end up at the very place he was trying to avoid. The pull was insidious. Run with no direction and his feet would betray him, taking him before Dracula. Looking up he saw a thin trail of light piercing the trees and went toward it. _Castle Frankenstein is in this area_. He realized. _And it's been abandoned for the last year. _ There he could get his bearings.

He got three steps before he felt something large and powerful slam into him from the side. Desperately he sucked in air as it was knocked from his lungs and he fell to the ground.

"What the…." He gasped, looking up to see the shadowy form of the girl by the bank on the back of a mount he could not make out. It was too low to the ground to be a horse and with thicker, more powerful legs. The girl shadow shook her head and pointed through the trees. There he saw what he had missed in his hurry to be out of the forest.

Castle Frankenstein. Castle Frankenstein which the demonic form of Dracula was landing on and the windows were lit with signs of habitation. He shuddered. Despite his best efforts he had almost walked right into Dracula's hands. The girl offered him her hand and he took it, still dazed by the close call. She was strong. He felt it as she pulled him up behind her onto the back of whatever the hell it was she was riding. Silently she guided the beast around and took them back into the trees.


	3. Questions

Disclaimer: I don't own Van Helsing or any of the characters therein. Thanks to everyone who has reviewed this story so far and been so kind. It does wonders for my ego which is so very tiny and needs all the nourishment it can get. Chapters will be getting longer I swear and the reward for Velkan still stands. It is now raised to a whole shiny dollar.

**Edited 09/13/07**

Chapter 3:

Sunlight cut through the trees and warmed his face. He was tired as anything and felt like falling onto the bed of leaves but he would not. Not until he got some answers. The young woman perched in front of him on the rock looked at him warily. _She looks like she half expects me to pounce and eat her._ He smiled grimly to himself. In another month that would not be far from the truth.

"Who are you?" He asked, getting right down to the questions. She tilted her head at him quizzically and spoke again in that alien musical language. He swore colorfully in frustration and pointed to himself. "Velkan." He said slowly and pointed his finger at her and tilted his head questioningly.

The girl stared at him for a moment, considering, then pointed to her own chest. "Mara." She said and then sat back on her heals and stared at him. He stared back at her, trying to think of a way to communicate to her the questions swirling in his head, and studied her as intently as she stared at him with wide gold green eyes that seemed both innocent and predatory.

He took in the tanned, dear hide leggings she was wearing, and the matching tunic that came to midway down her thighs. The outfit was completed by a belt that was no more than a simple strap of leather that bore the silver head of a jungle cat as the buckle. She looked odd and out of place in this dead and haunted Transylvanian forest.

Dark copper curls twisted gently down and ended just beneath her chin, framing a face with delicate bones and hiding her ears. Her skin was a pale cream complexion that was marred only by a scar running down across one eye. The scar tissue was smooth but still an angry shade of pink. _She must have gotten it within the last year. _He noticed her glaring at him he realized he had been staring too long.

The girl, _Mara._ He corrected himself, stood and glowered down at him. She spoke again and he felt another wave of frustration at being unable to understand her, followed quickly by a hot flow of anger. He didn't have time for this! Judging from the way Mara was speaking and gesturing from him to the forest in sharp agitated movements, she felt the same way.

He stood and took her hands in his, halting her movements. Though they were a small fit in his he was not foolish enough to think that his hold on her was anything other than something she allowed for the moment. As if to reinforce this he heard a low guttural growl coming from beside them and saw a giant tawny mountain cat, the size of a small horse, settling back on it's haunches.

"Call it off." He said, his voice soft but commanding. To his annoyance she only glanced at the creature before smiling back condescendingly at him. "I meant it." He growled. "This is no time for games!" She looked over her shoulder and he followed her gaze. The great cat had sat down and was calmly washing his face as if he had not just threatened to rip Velkan's throat out a few moments ago. His eyes darted back to Mara's face to see her grinning and he growled. She was playing with him. He released her hands and stepped back. _This is getting us no where_.

"Parley vous france?" He asked her. She tilted her head to one side. _I guess that means she can't and that's probably for the best. That's the only thing I know how to say in the language.. _He tried again. "Hablas Espanol?" She blinked at him. _Guess not that one either. _He exhaled sharply and tried once more. "Do you speak English?"

Her head slowly straitened as she stared him in the eye. "I speak English." She said clearly. He almost collapsed in relief. This would make things much easier.

"Your name is Mara?" He asked. She nodded but said nothing. "Where are you from?"

"Not here." She answered casually. Her voice kept the accent from her own language giving the words a curious rolling sound.

Velkan fought down the uncharacteristic surge of rage that came with her answer. He would not give the curse anymore ground than he had to. "I gathered that." He said sardonically. "Can you give me something more specific? Or do you have something to hide?" His eyes narrowed and he grabbed her arm again, hard. "Do you work for the monster?"

"Paranoid, are you not?" She asked, casually yanking her arm out of his grip. "I just arrived here so I could hardly be working for anyone. "

"We don't trust strangers around here." He bit out.

"What a coincidence." She said amicably with steel in her eyes. "I don't trust anyone."

"One of us will have to start trusting the other if we are to get any answers."

"Why don't you start?"

He growled, she smiled and he realized that she would not give. If he were to get answers then he would have to be the first to give them.

"Alright." He said, releasing his grip. "I'll go first. What's your question?"

"Where am I?" She asked instantly, taking him slightly by surprise.

"Your in Romania, in a village in Transylvania." He saw her frown and nod thoughtfully. "My turn. Where are you from and how did you get here?"

"That's two." She said simply. "And if you growl at me again I'll bite you myself."

A laugh escaped him despite his best efforts to stop it, though it sounded more like a bark. The ever present tide of anger and rage that had been with him since last night receded and it felt good. "Fair enough." He said at length. "Where are you from?"

"Ireland." She said, her eyes darting to the cat and back to him as she spoke. "My turn. Why were you running alone in the woods at night?" _She's hiding something. _He thought and countered with another question.

"Do you know where you are?" He held up his hand as she opened her mouth. "Not the location or the name but the place? The stories told about this place?" She shook her head mutely. "None at all?" He was surprised. Legends of vampires and werewolves had all originated from this lands cursed domination by the monster. The girl shook her head. He sighed and tried to think where to begin.

"For the last five hundred years, this land has been terrorized by a creature that hunts the night. He drinks the blood of the villagers to sustain his life which should long ago have ended and he has three brides that he created to amuse him and share in his hunts, his murder of my people." He spat the last words out with a lifetime of righteous anger behind them. When he saw she had absorbed what he had just said he continued. "My family, the family Valerious, have been trying to kill him for all these centuries and the most we have ever been able to do is annoy him and on a good day, kill his minions. The other day…It was not a good day."

He turned away from her then and ran his hands through his hair slowly, his eyes closed tightly as he recounted the rest. "My sister, a few of the braver villagers and myself set a trap to kill his pet werewolf, a trap that went horribly wrong when the lever stuck. My sister rushed into help me and the werewolf chased after her. To save my sister I put myself in it's path and was bitten before being tossed off the cliff."

He turned back to her and looked into her face, knowing that she would soon realize what this meant, what he was to become. "That was why I was wondering in the forest. I can not return home, knowing that at the next full moon I will become a werewolf, and Dracula's slave." He waited to see her back away in terror but she only nodded her understanding. "How did you get here?" He asked, his voice low. "We would have noticed your cat on one of our hunts." She only smiled, this time it seemed to have more warmth and sympathy in it, though he thought that could have been his imagination.

"You wouldn't have." She answered. "We are very practiced at going unseen."

Mara sat back down on the sun warmed rock and watched Velkan turn and pace away from her. Looking at him, she didn't think all of his personality could be blamed on the curse but that was fine by her. The way he moved over as he walked, she could almost see the muscles bunching beneath his clothes, ready to spring. If ever there was a man born to be a wolf it was the one before her. He had the grace and the agility and, the nobility as well. Yes even the nobility was in every line of his body.

"You say you can go unseen." He said suddenly. "That brings me to my next question. What are you?"

Her insides froze. She had foolishly hoped he would not ask this question. "What makes you think I'm anything other than what you see?" She countered.

"I don't." He said smiling wryly. "What I see is something pretending to be human."

"And why don't you see a human?" She challenged, her hand dropping idly by her right thigh.

"Humans don't run with giant cats." He said smoothly. His hand moved almost to quickly to be seen and she felt her wrist pinned to her side as he deftly removed the knife hidden beneath the hem of her tunic. "What are you Mara?"

She sighed and looked away. "I'm not entirely sure. What about you wolf man? What are you now?" She heard him growl and she looked back up at him, for the first time staring into pale green eyes that held such fire, and gasped as she felt an answering spark flare in her. He let go of her hand as quickly as if he had been burned and she knew he did it because he thought he had hurt her. Not because he felt the same. "That's a question you may want to answer for yourself _mo cridhe_."

He looked at her with a deep sadness and she regretted her words instantly. "A doomed man Mara. That is what I am." He turned away then and walked off into the woods. Mara looked down at the giant cat and jerked her head in the direction Velkan had taken.

**_Go after him, Kai._**

The big cat yawned widely and stretched. **_And what will you do kitten while I go hunting the wolf?_**

**_I'll be finding some more answers._** Kai looked at her skeptically, and she patted her left hip lightly. **_I still have my dagger, Kai. I'll be fine._**

The cat snorted but stood and padded off silently after the wolf prince. **_I'll be back tonight._** She said to his departing back, then turned and headed to what her nose told her a human settlement was.


	4. Interesting findings

Disclaimer: Nope. Still don't own Van Helsing or any of the people in that world, much to my dismay. But I'm working on it. A lifetime supply of chocolate will be given to anyone who can get me Velkan. Come on…A lifetime supply of chocolate should convince anyone to give him up.

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Chapter 4:

Mara arrived at the village as the sun fell and crept in behind the shepherds who were driving their flocks desperately through the town gates. Around her, as she walked through the streets, she saw people hurrying into buildings and heard shutters being closed and barred.

_Looks like no one here wants to get caught outside after dark.__ Wonder why._ She ducked out of the ever dwindling crowd into a back alley and sniffed at the air. Immediately her face crinkled up as she was assaulted by the foul scent of unwashed streets laden with horse droppings and human refuse piled up behind the houses. _Humans!_ She thought disgusted. _How can they live like this?_

She shook her head to clear her nose and darted to the back of the alley. Some empty wooden boxes lay upended against the building and she used them to catapult herself up as she jumped and grabbed the low hanging roof. She pulled herself up with a grunt of effort and looked down at the abandoned streets. _I don't know why they hate being out at night, _she thought to herself as she darted quickly over the small building to a larger one. _But I'm not stupid enough to stay out and exposed any longer than I have to. _

She jumped down in between the two buildings, landing hard on her feet and cocked her head, listening for the sounds of life. She heard them. In the building whose broad side was currently sheltering her she heard the sound of many peoples' voices raised in discussion. Looking around she found a small window at the base of the building leading into what was probably a cellar. But how to get it open?

The world suddenly grew colder, and Mara became acutely aware of her own breath carried away on the wind in small puffs of fog. Slowly her head turned and she saw a Shadow land at the mouth of the alley. It was tall, and man shaped and was staring right at her. Her ears roared with the remembered sounds of fire and screams. Panic froze her. Behind the first large Shadow landed three others and The Shadow turned to them, releasing her, in part, from her fear. She ducked behind a garbage pile and held her nose.

After a moment of conferring the shadows broke apart and moved on. Mara knelt behind the refuse pile for another hour after they left, unable to convince herself to move. When the shadow had looked at her, she had known she had seen the face of death.

* * *

Kai lay his head down on his forepaws and watched the human man pace through the trees with amused detachment. He noticed that it was smart enough not to wander off to far on it's own. If the previous night was any judge that would be the fastest way to end up in the hands of his nemesis. The great cat yawned and stretched. His pard sister should be back shortly and he could sleep. Really he it was beyond him why she would take it on herself to care so for a human. Still, it was her choice. It mattered not to him where they went so long as they were together.

Abruptly the human stopped pacing and turned to stare at him. Dark eyes searching his own for signs of intelligence.

"What are you?" The human asked softy. So softly had Kai not had his tawny, fur tufted ears he would not have heard it. He stood and stalked slowly toward the man creature. To it's credit, it did not cower or back up, but stood it's ground, as secure in it's territory as no other man creature he had seen. This was one who knew where he belonged. Kai respected that.

He stood nose to nose with the human now. Large enough to look him in the eye. Kai pulled his lips back, barring his teeth. Velkan did not even flinch, but stood there facing him down as if prepared to take him with his own weak human hands. Kai had expected nothing less. It was the action of a brave warrior. A foolish one, but brave. He snorted, blowing back the dark hair of the man's face.

You want to know what I am? He asked in the language all things knew deep in their hearts where they were still connected to the wheel of life and death. I am one of the Great Ones. Descended from the first of all cats, and the last thing you will see on this earth is my jaws biting off your face if you annoy me or hurt my sister.

The man did nothing, only stared at him. Kai snorted and turned away. _I should have known. _ He thought to himself. _ He is as deaf as all others of his kind. Mara…._ His thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain blossoming behind his shoulders. He yowled in pain and whirled around to see the man crouched on the ground, fingers around another rock, prepared to throw again. If he could have laughed he would have. _So he is not as deaf as I thought. This should be interesting. _He sat back on the ground and began washing his side leisurely, as if he had not just threatened a proud warrior and been hit with a rock in answer. _Very interesting.  
  
_

Velkan crouched on the ground and eyed the cat warily, more than a little shaken by what had just happened. He had asked the thing a question, trying to puzzle out an answer to the question of their presence and not expecting a response. Then the cat had walked over to him, and barred it's teeth as if to eat him. He had an uncomfortable moment where he had flashed back to the cliff when the werewolf had leapt at him and wished desperately for his gun. Then he had heard a voice. It was too soft for him to make out the words, spoken as if from the back of the large, echoing dining room back home. But he had defiantly heard it, and he had no doubt it had come from the cat.

That same cat now sat, washing his side and pretending that it had not just threatened him. He wasn't stupid and the way the creature had stalked up and put it's fouls smelling face right in his had been a blatant attempt to intimidate him. He would be prepared if it happened again. _How could the girl live with that thing. _But the answer was obvious. They were two of a kind, for all that they wore different skins. _I wonder if she turns into a cat during the full moon as well._

The forest suddenly darkened and man and cat turned their heads to the sky to see four ominous shapes sailing across the starlit void. Velkan saw the cat stand quickly and run off in the direction the girl had left in and without hesitation he followed. He still had twenty seven days to go before the next full moon, and for every day of it he would still fight as he had for all of his life.


	5. In the village

Disclaimer: I own nothing and I make no money. This makes me sad. ::Sniff:: Now I can't buy Velkan.

**Chapter Edited 03/02/07: **New and Improved because I missed a continuity error when I posted it last time. Ooops. I haven't forgotten the next chapter (was it fifteen or sixteen that was next?) but I'm updating old ones while I struggle with it and this one is the first. :)

* * *

Chapter 5: 

Mara crouched behind the pile of refuse until her nose felt like it would rot and fall off from the stench. Carefully she backed up, keeping her eyes and ears trained in front of her until her back hit the brick wall at the back of the alley. She inched her way along it, feeling with her hands until she reached the window. Taking a small dagger out of her boot, she pressed the tip against the base of the window and was rewarded as the class shattered inward from the pressure. Careful to use only the sleeve covered part of her arm, she wiped away the remaining shards of glass and crawled in through the window.

Immediately she wished she had stayed in the alley. The overwhelming scent of alcohol hit her sinuses hard enough that she nearly got drunk from the smell alone. Gin, rum, vodka, and some stronger potions that were probably local specialties. Her hand went up over her nose and she made a pointed effort to breath through her mouth.

The room she was in was dark. If anyone else had come in they would have stumbled over the crates and barrels piled up against the walls or laying out on the floor, but Mara was of the cat clan and that had advantages. Darkness held no barriers to her sight. She worked her way around the barrels and over to a short flight of stairs. The sound of floorboards creaking warned her that someone was coming and she ducked beneath the overhang of the stairs. The door above her opened and light poured in from the room. Mara covered her eyes briefly as they adjusted.

Sounds of laughter drifted in, following the portly bartender as he walked down the stairs, groping in the dark for the candle attached to the wall. Mara snuck around behind him when he passed her and crept up the stairs and out the door. The cellar door was behind the bar allowing Mara to stay hidden as she inched around for a look at the people crammed into the room; most spilling beer and falling over themselves as they laughed and drank. She crept around the bar, staying close to the wall and found and empty chair and table in the corner where she could sit unnoticed, if she was quiet, and watch the people.

One man a few seats down from her asked something of the man next to him, drunkenly slurring the words together as he spoke. He sloshed his drink in the direction of the door and said something incomprehensible to Mara, though the anger in his voice would have been clear to anyone. His friend tried to quiet him and he slammed his drink down hard on the table.

A few heads from nearer tables turned toward the two men and put their fingers to their lips, trying to convince him to be silent. The man said something that made one the younger men at the other table blush before finally succoming to the arguments of the people around him. He set his drink back on the table and stared into it, his eyes taking on a distant look as if he was seeing something far away from the crowded and dirtied barroom.

The way they acted reminded Mara a great deal of sheep that ambled pointlessly around the hills when they knew a wolf was on the loose. She snorted contemptuously and began looking for a way to make a quick exit when a word caught her attention.

"Velkan…" The drinking man tipped a little in his seat, nearly falling over before his friend straightened him and nodded in response to whatever had just been said. Both men took another sip of their drink; slumping further down on their stools as they continued to gabber at each other in the strange language that was native to these frozen mountains. The mention of the wolf prince's name sparked Mara's curiosity and she bent all her senses to her quarry with renewed interest.

The loud drinker took another swollow out of his clouded mug and this time his friend did as well, clinking their classes against each other before downing the contents. Even if their hunched shoulders and beaten eyes had not spoken to Mara of despair and defeat, the smell coming off of them would have been enough. _They know him? _She realized suddenly, making the connection between Velkan's name and the villagers apparent attitude of mourning. _They know him and they think he's dead! _

A number of people at the tables near the one who had spoken raised their glasses to toast in an echo of the first two and the conversation of the room dwindled to nearly nothing. Mara felt the emotions of the tavern people growing; despair and grief that nearly overwhelmed her.

_He must have been well liked and known here, _she realized. _And apparently they think he's dead. Why doesn't he come back and let the people…these sheep, know that he's still alive? _

She looked around and saw that the people in that corner were not the only ones that seemed so fearful. Everyone in the the dank poorly lit room sat hunched over their drinks and the atmosphere in the tavern was not what she remembered such things to be. No one was laughing or telling crude jokes, no bar fights were starting-- everyone seemed to be trying to stay as unseen as possible.

_This bloodsucker he fights? Why does only his family fight it I wonder. Surely the people of this town could defeat it by force of numbers alone. _

She thought back to the alley, to the dark presence that had so chilled her and shuddered. _Maybe not. _ Whatever dark thing lived here was like nothing she had seen before.

A bell pealed out across the night, sounding even over the din in the bar and everyone fell silent for a moment, listening.

Mara watched the villiagers, one and all, cower at the sound and felt anger rise in her breast. _No matter how terrifying this monster may be, It's still better to go down fighting rather than milling about like animals for the slaughter! _She thought scornfully. _What does he see in protecting these…these sheep!_

The bar doors opened and the people started leaving. No one leaving without at least one friend to accompany them on the walk home. Mara watched the two men at the table stand, and one help his drunken companion out the door before leaving. As she passed the doors, she heard someone she assumed was the bartender calling out, demanding to know who she was and what she was doing here. She ignored him and ran off alone into the night, toward the forest. Toward Kai, and the prince of wolves.

* * *

Kai ran full tilt toward the town, well aware that the warrior man was following behind him at a respectable speed. As he broke through the tree line and onto the path leading to the human town he saw the shadow creatures fly over the sky again, away from him and the village. 

_Mara._ He thought. _She was in the town. _ He ran again, with renewed strength and ignored the heavy breathing and breaking branches behind him that was the man. All that mattered was getting to his sister. Of course he would find her well. She was a cat. But that was beside the point. The point was that she had been in danger of being in danger and he wanted to see for himself she was safe.

A figure was running up the path toward him and his nose told him it was Mara before he actually made out the unique gait that was the best a two legged cat could manage a run. He slowed and stopped in front of her, regarding her with dark green eyes narrowed in annoyance and waited for the man to join him. A few moments later he did, breathing heavily but otherwise none the worse for wear.

"What the hell were you doing?" He yelled and Kai felt like joining him but settled for turning his back with a admonitory twitch of his tail and leading the way back.

Velkan came up behind the cat, chest heaving from the exertion of keeping up with it. He saw Mara trotting toward them and breathed an unsteady sigh of relief. Quickly he felt the relief change inside his chest to a fire of anger. _How dare she run off like that! I told her the danger and she runs off without telling me anything of where she is going, leaving me with the monster of hers! _He felt his hands clenched into fists and wanted to wrap them around her arms and shake her hard for her idiocy. He forced his hands to relax, realizing the bite was causing him to react so violently.

"What the hell were you doing?" He bit out through clenched teeth.

"Scouting." The redhead said curtly as she walked up behind the great cat and stroked its ears, murmuring something into them in her own tongue, obviously trying to placate him. That she would console the cat and so ignore him sent another wave of anger running through him.

"Scouting?" He repeated derisively. "Scout what? I live in that town and could have told you anything you wanted to know oh queen of cats"

Mara looked up from stroking the cat and stared at him with her own strange slit-pupiled eyes. "It's been a long time since I have been in a human town and I was curious." She told him calmly.

"Curious?!" He repeated loudly, eyes wide, shocked. "There are vampires out there! You could have died!" The girl looked up at him, curiosity sparkling in her green-gold eyes.

"I heard that term used in the village. What's a vampire?" He looked at her for a moment and only when he saw her expression set into a glare did he realize the look on his face must have been an insulting one.

"The bloodsucker. He's a vampire." He told her waiting for her reaction.

"Why are the people so afraid of him. All of them together could surely take out one monster." Velkan shook his head.

"Your brave Mara, I'll give you that, but you have a lot to learn about Transylvania if your going to stay here for any length of time." He ran a hand down over his face and felt the rough growth of stubble that had sprung up in the last two days. "Dracula, the vampire, he's stronger than any hundred men. And so are his brides."

"Brides?!" Mara exclaimed. "You mean as in more than one?"

"Yes. Dracula has three brides, each near to being his equal in strength. Even if the entire village attacked, from the oldest man hobbling on his cane to the youngest one wielding his toy sword, It would make no difference to the fight. Only to the village which would lose every son, brother, father and husband in it. And neither I nor my father will throw our peoples lives away like that. "

The walk back through the woods was a quiet one.


	6. Meant to be

Authors Note: I am waiting to post new chapters until I have gone back and tweaked some of the old. After this one I will lightly redo chapter 1 and 7. Thanks so much to those who stuck with the story. On to Chaper 6!

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Velkan walked in silence as Kai and Mara pulled ahead, leaning together as they spoke in whatever odd way they did. He had no doubt now, seeing how they worked and ran together, that they had some way of communicating. He found himself wondering more about the mystery these two represented. 

Her disregard for the individual lives of the village people worried him. The only other creatures who had shown such inclinations were Dracula and his minions. He tried to look at her dispassionately, without seeing the woman who rescued him but found himself no closer to answers or decisions than he was a few moments earlier.

"You told me you were from Ireland, Mara?" He tried to make his voice sound casual and conversational as he questioned her.

"Yes," She answered him tersely, her eyes never resting as she scanned the forest around her at all times alert for danger.

"Why come here then? It's a long way from your home." He watched her carefully, trying to analyze her reaction. He saw her stiffen slightly.

"I no longer have a home."

"Why is that?" Despite his efforts he could not keep the suspicion out of his voice.

"It was burnt to the ground," She spit the words out as if they were razors on her tongue, the growl in her own voice echoed by the more primal growl of her companion. Velkan felt a stab of pity for her. He knew what it was like to be deprived of everything you knew and loved.

"I...I'm sorry," he offered lamely.

"Don't be. You weren't the one who burned it."

Her words came out clipped and he saw her body tense as she answered him, between the two tells he could practically smell her discomfort. He stopped speaking and kept pace beside her, her body between his and the cats, and saw the tension drain out of her into the silence and the sound of the owls in the trees. He realized as they walked that he did not want to distrust her. In fact he to trust her and have her trust in return with a degree of intensity that startled him. But he had to find out if she was a threat and before he succomed to the wolf. He could not leave Anna with another potential enemy attacking her flank while Dracula continued his own assaults. He owed it to her as the last thing he could do to protect his sister and find out as much about this woman as he could, and if she was an enemy...

"Why are you here?" He pressed again. She whirled on him fire sparking in her green eyes as her temper finally banked and flared.

"What concern is it of yours?" She demanded, practically spitting the words at him like knives that would sink into his flesh. "My brother and I are passing through and we have done nothing but save your sorry life along the way, so what the hell does it matter to you?"

Velkan heard a low growl, thought for a moment that it was coming from the cat and was surprised when he realized in the next moment that it came from his own chest. "Until the curse takes me at the next full moon, the safety of my people is still my priority, and you are still a threat to them!"

"How?" She shot back. "I have done nothing wrong."

He drew himself up to his full height to look down on her which was not hard when the top of her head barely brushed his collar bone. "Your very mysteriousness is a threat. Other than that you travel with a giant cat, I know nothing of you or your origins. For all I know you could be a new kind of were-animal, cursed to change into a cat at the full moon instead of a wolf."

The girl looked up at him as if he were weak in the head.

"I'm not cursed, oh prince of wolves," she purred sarcastically and took a moment to bow mockingly at him before continuing on. "And you aren't either. If anyone was meant to be both wolf and man it is you. You fit the part as a hand does a well tailored glove." He glared down at her.

"Your saying I am meant to be a monster!" He accused. She looked at him, her lips widening in a knowing smile.

"I said you were meant to be a wolf." she corrected smugly. "There's a difference."

He glared at her balefully. "If there is then I can't see it."

"And that is what will be your downfall." He bristled, his original concerns forgotten in the heat of the argument. In a contest of wills he would make her back down.

"Explain yourself." He demanded. She turned away and rested her hand in the thick ruff of fur at her companion's neck.

"How can I make it clearer?" she asked him impatiently. "As a wolf is to the pack, so are you to your people. You stood between your sister and a giant, hungry man-wolf, for the gods sake! You think one of your typical villagers would have done that? And even now as you call yourself cursed you stand between your sister and me, not knowing what or who I am. Only a wolf protecting his pack would be that loyal, that brave," impatience turned to bitter scorn that set Velkan's teeth grinding as she continued. "That senselessly stupid."

_ "What?!"_ His disbelieving shout echoed perilously through the trees but he barely noticed. Kai lifted his head and sniffed the wind, his ears laid flat against his skull in a silent warning. Velkan was past caring. "Since when is protecting those you love an act of stupidity?"

"When you throw yourself in front of certain death! How can you help your sister if you get eaten alive? How can you help the villagers? But instead of being torn apart -which you deserved," the last she shot at him with a substantial dose of spite and Velkan knew she had been hurt by is mistrust more than she would ever admit -even to herself. "Instead of being ripped apart, you are given a chance to actually be able to do some good instead of being a meat shield."

"What chance?" He sneered, trying to ignore the sting caused by her opinion of what he had done and been. "The chance to turn into a monster and eat the villagers?"

"The chance to become a creature powerful enough to stand toe to toe with your enemy, idiot!"

"Dracula. Controls. Werewolves!" He could hear himself biting off each word as it left his mouth. A small part of himself warned that he was becoming too emotional in this, loosing what little control of the conversation he had but the frustration built like a fire in him and would not let him back down. "I will become his servant!"

"Dracula. Controls. Men." She shot back in the same tone. "If he does not control you now than there is no reason he should be able to control you when you are wolf."

"Tell that to the ones he controlled over the centuries. Many of them good men and women who would never have gone to him of their own free will!"

"They let themselves be controlled!" Now she was shouting as well and neither of them paid any attention to Kai who's fur was standing on end as he hissed balefully into the dark shadows surrounding them. "They believed they had no power and so they had none!"

"DO NOT DARE," he screamed at her. "Do not dare to blame those people for what happened to them! They would never have let Dracula force them to attack their friends and families if there was any way to stop it! Belief had nothing to do with what Dracula did to them."

"Belief has everything to do with it you stupid man! Belief is the heart and soul of all magic!"

Velkan watched as Mara's mouth shut with and audible snap, almost as if she wished she could shut the words that had just escaped behind her teeth. Velkan's own mouth closed as her words sunk in and he realized the import of them.

"How do you know of magic, Mara?" He asked her, his voice lowered to a deadly calm. Mara said nothing.

"Are you a witch?" Still nothing and a faintly bitter-sweet smell was emanating from her. It wafted in through his nostrils and made him feel heady, like when he was ten years old and had drunk too much wine at his father's party. "Are you a sorceress?" Still there was no answer.

Suddenly furious Velkan checked himself before he lunged forward and shook her by the shoulders, or wrapped his hands around her stubborn neck. "I will not leave behind another threat to my sister!"

"I am not a threat!" She screamed back at him. Above them the branches suddenly shook, dislodging clumps of snow onto their heads. Velkan and Mara both looked up to see four ghostly shadows flying across the light of the moon. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Mara draw a he dagger. In the pale light it glinted like a spill of ink.

_ Flint,_he told himself absently as his eyes flew back up to the sky's to search for danger. No further trace of shadow marred the path of light shining down. Had not Mara and her companion reacted to the same thing he could have passed it off as a hallucination.

"We need to get out of here," he told her, his voice lowered to a hoarse whisper.

"We?" she said archly, her voice low but no less biting. "I thought I was a threat."

_ She pulled me out of the water, _he reminded himself sharply. _She kept me from running into Dracula's waiting arms and gave me time I can use to help Anna. Whatever else she may be she is not one of Dracula's servants. Annoying as hell, but not a minion of Dracula._

"Until I know for certain," he told her aloud. "I'm not leaving you to Dracula and his brides," something sweet and faintly woodsy replaced the earlier sent that had driven him nearly wild a few minutes ago and with a seeping chill down his spine he realized what it was.

"Mara you have to leave," he spoke quickly and urgently all color drained from his face as gripped her shoulders, trying to make the import of his words sink in through her skin if he could. "You must find a place until morning and then leave at first light."

The half smile she was wearing fell off her face as if it had been cut off. "What happened to you not leaving us to Dracula?" She asked him coldly.

"Mara, don't you understand? The curse is growing!" he told her, raising his voice as the wind picked up around them. "The ...the evil drives of the curse are influencing how I think, by God, I can even smell your emotions! You can not be around me when it takes over!"

He watched with despair as her whole body unwound from the tension of hostility and a look of rare compassion replaced it. She still did not understand.

"You won't hurt me, Velkan." She told him quietly. "I told you before that me and Kai were drawn to your lands by legends of the wolf men and we came prepared."

"Not for this..." he began before she cut him off.

"Maybe so, maybe no," she told him with familiar evasiveness. "Either way you said yourself that we have until the full moon until you become dangerous and that isn't for another two weeks."

Velkan shook his head and turned to strike out into the woods on his own when Mara's voice piped up behind him again. "Or would you rather loose two weeks of planning and preparation for the worst to leave your sister to the wolves?"

He froze, front foot six inches from the snow as her words sunk in. Slowly he put it down and turned to stare at her, on her face was a look of maddening innocence as if she were merely asking a dinner preference. Her lips curled up in a small smile.

"Forgive the pun."

He stared at her, she stared back and around them the snow fell in soft flurries. Kai had stopped growling but his eyes remained skyward and his ears swiveled about on his head as he strained to catch even the dimmest sound. Velkan blinked, then slowly he began to chuckle. The chuckle grew to a full throated laugh that shook his body and forced him to lean against a tree to keep from falling over while the woman and cat looked on as if he had gone mad. _And it's not as if it was a particularly good pun, either._

* * *

Mara watched as the young prince bent double with, _and it's not even as if it was a particularly good pun, either, _she thought bemusedly 

**It isn't the joke**, Kai informed her. **He's been running around for the full length of two suns and two moons, worrying about his sister and trying to keep on top of what he believes is a curse.**

**And?** She asked as Velkan pulled himself upright and wipe the tears from his eyes. Kai looked at her, scorn radiating from him like heat from the sun.

**If you can not figure that out, little sister, he told her scathingly, then far be it from me to tell you.**

Irritation flashed through her like lightning, brilliant and gone as quickly as it had come. There was no sense in getting angry with her friend for being true to his nature and the Cat Clans were notoriously cryptic.

**Well, he's right about one thing,** she told him, switching topics.

**And what is that?**

**We do need to get out of here.** Mara had only had a brush with that dark presence in the village but it was more than she ever wanted to deal with again. Already the shadows seemed darker, more concealing. It would not be long before the shadows they had seen over head decided to come investigate the small group under the trees.

**With or without the young wolf?** Kai's question broke through her dark musings, there was something in his tone that Mara couldn't quite identify.

**With him, Kai,** She answered back crossly. **His 'curse' is the key to our quest here.**

A feeling of smugness from her friend was all she got back in reply before he closed off his connection to her, resulting in a mild headache as Mara ground her teeth together too hard. Between him and the angstacular wolf-prince, Mara was about ready to toss both of them off the Transylvanian cliffs.

"What are you talking to each other about?"

_ Speak of the devil, _Mara told herself as her attention was brought back to the present and to Velkan, who had pulled himself up straight and was frowning at her and Kai.

"What do you mean?" Cats were not the only ones who could be maddeningly elusive.

"Just now, you had this unfocused look in your eyes. You get that from time to time, but only when your around the cat."

"The cat's name is Kai," she told him evenly.

"Kai, then," He answered back as if he had all the time in the world. Clearly he was changing tactics. "But that still doesn't answer my question."

"What question?"

She waited for him to respond, to exhale sharply or narrow his eyes or even yell at her in exasperation before repeating his question. She was ready for it now, was looking forward to it. It had been a long time since she had played these games with anyone other than her furry brother but to her surprise he only shrugged his shoulders tiredly and let the subject drop. _Clearly changing tactics. _She repeated the thought to herself as she tried to figure out what his next move would be.

**Now is not the time, little sister,** Kai whispered urgently in her head. **The bloodsuckers are circling around, if we are leaving we must leave **_**now!** _

"Me and Kai have been staying in a cave about twenty minutes walk from here, if you like you can come stay with us."

She watched him stiffen in surprise that melted quickly to a tentative relief and made her glad she had extended the offer.

"I...," he started hesitantly. "I should not. I will be a danger, possibly worse than Dracula."

Mara shook her head, "You have another two weeks before the 'curse' takes effect. Will you just give yourself to the bloodsucker before you have too?" She watched with an inner smile as the young man stiffened. "I did not think so."

**Little sister,** Kai hissed warningly. **If we're going to leave we need to go now.**

Without waiting Mara turned and padded off into the snow laden trees, Kai dashing ahead of her to scout the path as she guarded the rear. After a moment she heard the heavy yet deliberate footfalls of the wolf-prince falling into step behind her.


	7. Sleep and dreams

Disclaimer: You know the drill. Don't own 'em. Can't have 'em.

A/N: No reviews anymore. I feel so cheep, and like the flavor of the week ::Sniff::

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Chapter 7

Mara sat outside the cave and looked up at the sky. The sun was just coming up over the horizon, casting a pale blue glow over the world. A warm body came up behind her and nudged her gently on the shoulder. She twisted around and looped a companionable arm around Kai.

There is a great evil here, little sister. His voice rumbled in her head. I can smell it. His lips drew back in a snarl.

I know my brother. I saw it in the town tonight.

What?! He roared in her mind and aloud as well causing the sleeping figure behind them to move restlessly before quieting.

Mara looked over into the cave to see the young man sleeping as if he had not in days. _He probably hasn't. _She thought, doing a quick calculation. Two days up and running from the day she found him dragged up, broken and bleeding on the river bank, to tonight. _He's going to sleep for a week._ She turned back to Kai. I saw something in the town. It was too dark to make out what it was specifically but four shadow creatures landed in the town and when one of them looked at me I…. She shuddered, remembering feeling the cold grip of fear and despair. Kai turned his warm golden eyes on her.

It saw you? Little sister, we should leave and not look back. There is too much that is unknown and dark here for us to be able to defend against it.

Mara shook her head. We can't leave Kai. We need to be here.

Why Mara? He asked, frustration overflowing in his mind. Why do we need to be here, so far from our land. You never did tell me what it was that called you so far, so strongly.

I don't know! She answered just as frustrated. I don't know why I felt drawn here! I know we're out of our depth and still I can't leave! She turned to look again at Velkan, sleeping peacefully at the back of the cave, oblivious to their conversation.

He looked younger when he slept, one lock of dark hair falling over his face. She studied him in the dark. When he slept he looked several years younger. His face was wiped clean of the few worry lines that creased his forehead and around the lines of his mouth. Testaments to too many battles fought. She knew the look. She felt something vibrating beneath her arm and realized that Kai was laughing, in only the way a great cat can.

Something amuse you? She asked wryly.

If you can not see it, then far be it from me to enlighten you. Mara growled in mock anger at him and he hit her lightly with his paw. Go to sleep little sister. I will guard you this day until the warrior wakes. Mara nodded and yawned, allowing herself to at last feel the last day and a half she had gone without resting.

Let me say one more thing before you sleep, little sister. Kai said as she found a spot at the back of the cave and curled up, knees to chest, on the cold stone. When we found the warrior, I smelt the same evil on him.

I know, but the scent is not as strong on him as it would be if he were the cause of it. Mara said groggily. And he looked like he needed the help.

Kai nodded and lay down before the entrance of the cave, eyes focused outward for any signs of danger. Mara closed her eyes and fell instantly asleep.

_ Smoke.__ It stung her eyes and clogged her nose as she threw the entire weight of her small body up against the door. It stayed firm.. She backed up to the far wall of the cellar, where mother had locked her at the first sound of swords, and ran full tilt at the door. The wood, weakened by the smoke and fire, gave under her shoulders and she fell forward over the food chest that mother had put there to bar the door . Fire climbed the walls and licked over the ceiling. She quailed a little at the flames and searched frantically for mother. _

_ She found her lying on the bed in the main room of their tiny cottage. Her body broken and bleeding, her eyes glazed in the empty stare of the dead. Mara wailed piteously. How could this have happened? Who had done this? _

_ The answer to the last question she knew already. The horned men in their ships had come again. That was what the clashing of swords meant. Either them or the Saxons had returned again. She shuddered at the thought._

_ Kissing the pale, cold forehead of her mother goodbye, she backed away, running out the door just as a long fire eaten beam crashed down behind her heals. Blindly she ran down the hill toward the coast. She heard something running behind her faster than herself. She pumped her short ten year old legs harder but it made no difference. Whatever was behind her was gaining speed. _

_ Just a little farther ahead was the path, down the cliff to the coast. She knew of a series of caves there she could hide in. Mother had shown her them one day, after uncle Conner had come with news of an attack in a village several miles away, and given strict orders to hide there if something like this should ever happen to them. Ten yards ahead. She was almost to the path. Five. Four._

_ Something large and heavy hit her from behind, knocking the breath from her lungs as she crashed hard to the ground. Something sharp and feeling vaguely like claws bit into her back._

Mara woke with a yell, imprisoned in someone's arms. She struggled and bit, blindly fighting her captor until the soft words that were being spoken forced there way through her consciousness.

"It's alright. It's just a dream. Your safe." The voice said softly over and over, never changing tone despite the teeth and nail marks she left in skin. Finally she recognized it and fell still. Velkan stopped rocking her and let her go carefully. She turned around to look him in the face.

"That must have been some nightmare." He commented quietly. She nodded and looked down at the bloody furrows in his arm.

"I'm sorry about that." She said apologetically. He shrugged.

"I've had worse." She nodded.

"I'll be fine now if you want to go back to sleep." She told him, trying to keep the shakiness from her voice. He shook his head.

"I'll be fine. I'm going to keep watch." She nodded again. "You should sleep though. You can't have gotten much." She looked at him warily, thrown off by the concern in his voice. Finally she crawled to the back of the cave and lay down, back facing the wall.

She did not expect to be able to fall back asleep after the dreams but as soon as her eyes closed she felt darkness overtake her in, mercifully, dreamless sleep.

Velkan watched her as her breathing gradually slowed in the pattern of sleep. _She looks so much younger when she's asleep._ He thought to himself. _Eighteen if that._ He recognized her nightmares as the same kind of dreams that haunted old veterans and wondered what had happened in her life to give her such sleepless nights.

It wasn't until he heard the low warning growl coming from the throat of the cat that he realized his hand was hovering over her hair, to brush back an errant strand that had fallen forward over her face. He pulled it back quickly.

Wise human. He heard a soft voice in the back of his head. You wouldn't want to loose it.

Velkan shook his head. It was going to be a long day.


	8. Confrontations

Disclaimer: Don't own it. Not any of it, not even a little bit. Well…except for Mara and Kai of whom I am particularly fond and are my unwitting bait to capture Velkan. Mwhahahahaha!

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Chapter 8:

Large golden eyes stared at him from the cave's entrance. Velkan shook his head. _I did not just hear that cat talk. _He told himself desperately. The cat looked at him and blinked slowly.

And why do you say you haven't heard me when obviously you have? A voice in his head asked with wry amusement. Velkan sat down hard and stared at Kai.

"You can talk?" He whispered hoarsely. Kai nodded slowly, making sure he knew the gesture was deliberate. "How?"

Kai snorted, his way of laughing. How can a fish swim or a bird fly? I speak to you because I must. He said drolly. Next question.

Velkan shook his head, briefly dazed. He must be very far gone to be able to understand cats. _Still_, He thought. _Never waste and opportunity._ "Why are you here?" He asked.

Because we walked. Kai said with maddening innocence.

"Why did you walk?" He persisted.

Because we needed to leave. Velkan rubbed his temples, feeling the beginnings of a serious headache. If Kai was like any of the cats he had come across in his life, questioning him would be a long twisted drawn out process.

"Why did you need to leave." The large golden eyes just blinked at him. He growled softly and ran a hand through his hair. It tangled in a snare and growled again, louder, causing Mara to stir in her sleep. Kai rumbled softly, barely audibly.

Wake her and I will bite off your head. His voice said conversationally in Velkan's mind. An idea went off in his head and Velkan reached a hand back out over the sleeping girl and gently stroked her hair. She sighed in her sleep and her lips spread in a small unguarded smile.

As he expected, Kai growled at him again, his ears pressed flat against his skull. He didn't need telepathy to be able to tell the cat was upset. "I no longer have a pressing need to live, Cat," He spat the word out with as much derision as he could put into it and was rewarded to see Kai's muscles bunch beneath his skin. "But I have every desire for answers, and I am currently between you and the girl."

He kept his face and body very still as he spoke, disgusted at himself for taking such a road but knowing he needed the answers.

I could kill you before you had time to blink. Kai's mind voice hissed, full of venom and just a trace of fear. Velkan felt his stomach churn. How did this make him any better than Dracula?

"Not without risking the girl." He said aloud.

Kai pulled his lips back over his teeth in a silent snarl, his ears pressed so flat they were nearly invisible and the hair on his neck was upright. _That is one mad cat. _Velkan thought with a shadow of his old reckless humor. _Maybe I won't have to worry about the curse after all. _

Suddenly something struck him upside the side of his head and he was sent flying into the far wall with a force that should have killed him. Would have had he not had werewolf venom in his vanes.

_ Damn! I didn't even see him move._

He picked himself up and glared at Kai who was now standing protectively between him and Mara.

How dare you! He roared. How dare you presume to threaten my sister, pathetic human!

_ Sister?_

"I have a sister too." He shot back. "One who is all alone in the world now, with no one to protect her and soon I will be as much a threat to her as the monster Mara ran across in town." His voice broke at the thought. Soon his sister would either have to kill him, or be killed by him. He closed his eyes in a silent prayer that she would kill him quickly as a wolf and never find out what had happened to him.

"I must do everything I can now," He continued. "To make sure the danger for her is as little as can be, and for that I need answers, so at least I can know that she has no new enemies." He opened his eyes and looked up at Kai, a quiet plea for understanding, one brother to another.

Kai stared at him, fur still upright and ears laid back for a long moment. At last he sat down, still putting himself between Mara and Velkan. What do you want to know, warrior?

* * *

A/N: I apologize for the long interlude between updates. I was so busy with work and running around and standing so much that my feet hurt like knives we being shoved in them. I needed sleep so bad, I was incoherent for days, and by days I mean one. Anyway I updated and I hope everyone enjoys.


	9. Face off

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Van Helsing characters. However I can proudly say I do own Mara and Kai so ..back away! Mine! ::Swings stick and accidentally hits self on nose:: Ow.

A/N: I apologize for the delay in the story. I apologize more because it's going to be the last chapter I write….for a whole week. I'm going to the beach! Wahooo!

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Chapter 9

What do you want to know warrior?

The cat asked him grudgingly and for a moment, Velkan was thrown off guard. What did he need to know most about these people?

"Why did you come here? What made you travel so far from Ireland?" He asked finally.

Kai stared at him unblinkingly for a long moment before answering. First of all, human, we did not come from Ireland.

Velkan stared at him. "I am sure that is where Mara told me she was from. Are you saying she lied." He asked in a soft voice, barely hiding his impatience.

Kai released the rumble that Velkan had come to know as laughter. No. She is from Ireland originally. That much is true. But that is not where we come from.

Velkan stared hard at Kai. While the cat was answering his questions willingly enough he was also still being very evasive. He would have to be careful while questioning him. "Where did you come from then?"

We came from the lands of Tir na nog, Velkan looked at him blankly. The fairy lands. Kai clarified.

"What is that place? I've never heard of it."

I'm not surprised. You seem to have enough of a problem dealing with your own legends. It is the home of my kind.

Velkan shook his head, filing that in with the other statements he would examine later. If there was a later.

"Alright then, back to the original question. Why have you come."

Because we had no reason to stay, and my sister, Mara, wished to see human lands again.

"How is she your sister?" He asked puzzled. "She doesn't…resemble…you at all." He added delicately, eyeing the cat's giant fangs.

"He is my brother by adoption." Said a drowsy voice from behind Kai. Velkan craned his neck around to see Mara sitting up and stretching, much in the same way as a cat with her back arched and her arms reaching toward the ceiling, apparently awakened by their discussion. "I was adopted into his pride."

"Adopted?" He repeated, dubious. "You were adopted by cats?" She nodded and he sighed. "Alright, I can believe that for now." He ignored her frown. "Why did you choose to come here? You must have heard the stories along the way."

"That was one of our reasons." She answered. "We wanted to see if any of them were true. Stories about a man who lives forever and feeds of the blood of the living? We've heard stranger stories but none that were told so widely or so commonly taken as truth. So we came to investigate."

"You came all this way to see Dracula?!" he asked, torn between astonishment and outrage. "That has to be the stupidest thing I have ever heard of anyone doing, ever."

Mara stiffened her back and Kai growled. "How dare you say such things about us! We've been around since before …." She seemed to think better of what she was saying and quickly shut her mouth.

"What?" He asked, pouncing on the unfinished sentence. "You've been doing this before what?"

"For a long time." She finished lamely. His eyes narrowed at her.

"Anyway," she continued. "That was only one of the reasons. The main reason we came was for the legends of the wolf men." She stared into his dark gray eyes as she spoke, watching for his reaction. He stared back it her in obvious shock for the next minute and a half.

"Wha –that's even worse!" He got out finally.

How? Kai interjected. I am more than an equal for any kind of creature your land has to offer. Velkan ran his eyes up and down the creatures great length, the taunt muscles hidden just beneath the skin and the thick, tawny mass of fur that acted as armor around his neck and shoulders. He shook his head.

"Not Dracula. The man made a deal with the devil and he cannot die." Kai snorted rudely and Mara nodded, but he thought he saw caution and a little fear lurking in her green eyes. _Good, maybe she'll change her mind and go home and I'll have one less death on my conscience when the time comes. _"And the wolves he controls have no sense of self. They will fight until they are torn apart piece by piece and be glad of it so long as they take you down with them. He controls them utterly."

He shivered slightly. _And soon, I'll be one of them._ He felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up into a pale face framed with dark red hair. He pulled himself up strait and she took her hand away.

Kai sat up and gazed down the length of his nose at him. He felt Mara move away from him and stand beside her brother.

"We will be fine. Kai can take care of anything that tries to surprise or overwhelm us and I am not exactly defenseless either."

Velkan bowed his head. They were going to stay. Nothing he could say would stop them and eventually they would be killed. "Please, listen to me. This is not a game or an adventure! The man _can not be killed._ "

"Everyone can be killed." Mara said reasonably.

"This monster can not!" Velkan shot back. "My family has tried for over four hundred years and have nothing to show for it but a full graveyard."

"Then it sounds like you really need us." Velkan groaned and Mara's eyes softened. "Everything happens for a reason. I believe that. There is a reason you were bitten, and why me and Kai were drawn here, so don't despair. Things will work out."

"How very optimistic." Said a snide voice from the caves entrance. A familiar voice. Velkan jumped to his feet and stepped in front of Mara and Kai.

"Dracula." He spat. The dark count merely nodded.

"How kind of your new friend to show us where you were hiding. I should have to reward her suitably." He smiled over Velkan's shoulder. It was all fang and he heard Kai growl a low warning behind him. He pressed his lips together tightly. _They should have left when they had the chance._

"Leave them out of this!" He yelled. "They're only passing through, they have nothing to do with you!" The count chuckled.

"It would be very rude of me not to introduce myself then. Wouldn't you agree, your highness?" The count bowed at him mockingly and Velkan felt his blood boil with hatred.

"My lord and lady," Dracula continued, bowing at Mara and Kai. "My name, is Count Vladislaus Dragulia. And who do I have the immense pleasure of addressing?"

"Mara." Came the girls voice from behind him. He wished he could look away and warn her not to look into the monster's eyes, but he didn't dare take his own gaze off of him for even a second. That would be all the time he would need to pounce. _Actually, _he thought. _He doesn't even need that. He's strong enough to take me down now but he's having more fun toying with us. _

"A lovely name for a lovely woman." Both Kai and Velkan growled at the same time. Mara laughed.

"You must be blind Count, if you don't see this." She ran her smallest finger down over the scar that crossed over her eye left eye. Velkan saw the Count frown ever so slightly and anger flash in his eyes. He didn't like being contradicted. Or laughed at.

Velkan felt the burning heat of the Vampire's stare on him again. He glared back and was disturbed to see the Count smiling evilly. He had seen the same expression on cats that had trapped a mouse.

"Well, well." Dracula hissed. "So the young prince has been bitten."

He laughed outright then and Velkan fought the urge to lunge at him and feel his hands wrap around the monsters throat. If he was going to die fighting the monster he would wait until he at least had the chance to put up a decent fight. It would be a very short match if he attacked while the count was still so interested in him.

"Come here, Velkan." The count said, as if he were only stating the time.

"Go to Hell!" He said and Dracula laughed again.   
"Been there, done that, little wolf. Now come here!" It was an order enforced by the dark ones will and to his horror, Velkan felt his feet move, one in front of the other, carrying him to the beast.

"You are mine now, little wolf." Dracula said, still chuckling at his opponents horror. "Your mind, your body, and your soul, are mine."

Velkan fought the command with all his will, and for a brief moment he thought he felt himself stop, but as he looked down he saw that only a few feet now separated him from the beast.

Something small and compact hit him without warning from behind, knocking him off his feet and the breath from his lungs. He heard Dracula roar and the weight was lifted off of him. He heard a thud and a moan that sounded disturbingly like a body hitting a solid rock wall and saw Kai leap over his head and knock Dracula to the ground, lunging repeatedly for his throat as the vampire tried to force his jaws back.

The force that held him earlier was gone now as Dracula was distracted and Velkan leapt up, looking around desperately for a wooden stake, a silver knife, anything to finish the bastard off. He saw Mara's limp body lying against the back wall of the cave and ran over to her.

He looked her over quickly and found her unhurt except for the small bump at the side of her head. She would be out for a bit. His eyes rested on the dagger at her hip, the sheath and hilt wrapped in the same colored leather as her pants so it would be near invisible unless you knew what to look for.

Kai howled behind him and he turned.

Dracula had succeeded in throwing the cat off him and was striding purposefully toward them. He grabbed Mara's dagger and pointed it warily at the Count. Dracula stopped and stared at him, laughing. God how he hated that sound.

"A dagger, little wolf? And one made out of stone no less." He stopped laughing and stared at him, a predatory glint in his eyes and Velkan knew they were all about to die.

Dracula lunged and reflexively Velkan stabbed at him. The knife buried itself to the hilt in his shoulder and Dracula screamed as the wound started to smoke. He jerked away and Velkan kept enough presence of mind to keep hold of the dagger. He watched bemused as the Count assumed his bat form and shot out of the cave. His eyes fell down to the dagger where drops of blood were still sizzling along the stone outlining the runes carved into the blade.

He walked to the edge of the cave and looked down at Kai. Already the cat was pulling himself up and limping back into the cave to see to his sister, no lasting harm done to him. Velkan bent down and wiped the blade clean on the grass, it smoked and the plants turned brown and lifeless. Gripping the hilt tightly he went back into the cave.


	10. Dreams of the past

Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Van Helsing characters. The only ones I can lay claim to are Mara and Kai who are figments of my imagination. But they're still mine. J

Author's note to Destiny's Dragon.: I give you my most solemn vow I will never take a year to update. 364 days maybe, but never a year. I enjoy writing too much.

Chapter 10:

* * *

_ Fear overwhelmed Mara as the weight at her back knocked the breath from her body and bore her to the ground. She gasped, desperately trying to breathe and felt air rush in painfully to fill her deflated lungs. She inhaled once, then again as she opened her mouth to scream. Sharp teeth bit into her neck, pricking her skin and silencing her abruptly. They tightened their hold briefly then released her as Mara became utterly still. Suddenly the weight was off her back and the girl scrambled up and around to face her attacker, her eyes wide with fear._

_ Standing not three feet in front of her was a cat easily the size of a small horse. She felt the blood drain from her face as she noticed the four inch long canines. Her hand flew to her throat as she realized how close those lethal fangs had been to biting her head off. _

_ giant cat stared at her unblinkingly and after several minutes Mara felt the liquid feeling of fear leave her legs. _Maybe he doesn't want to eat me_. She thought hope rising in her chest. _

_ Her gaze left the frighteningly intelligent amber eyes and wondered back over its shoulders. The cat was covered from head to toe in thick, tawny fur, the color of the falling sun and with a satiny sheen that made her small fingers itch to pet it. _

_ The great cat moved over to her, lightly butting her shoulder with its head to and she stared again into it's face, keeping her gaze on it's velvety nose this time, instead of staring it in the eyes. She knew many animals, like the dogs on her parent's land, would take that as a challenge. The cat nudged her shoulder again impatiently with its nose as the sound of metal on metal crashing was heard behind them. It turned from her and pointed it's nose to the trees._

_ The sounds of armor and sword fighting were coming closer. Mara shot a furtive glance over her shoulder and saw horned helmets cresting the hill that led down to the beach. She looked back at the cat and saw it walking away from her to the forest, and made up her mind. She was safer with this strange fairy beast. The cat stopped and looked over its shoulder as Mara trotted to catch up to it, crouching low in the tall grass as she ran to keep from being seen. When she was only a few feet away, the cat started moving again. If there had been any doubt before, Mara was now certain. It wanted her to follow it._

_ She was so intent on keeping pace with the lithe golden form that she stopped paying heed to the raid behind her. She felt something large and meaty grab her arm and yank her roughly back. She screamed, as she found herself looking up at a large man with hair so oily it looked brown. Only the few streaks of yellow told her he was naturally a blond under his helmet. He leered at her through a mouthful of rotting and broken teeth, around his neck he wore the necklace that Mara's mother had worn everyday for the last three years. Her daughters gift to her, made painstakingly from seashells found along the beach._

_ Mara screamed, fear forgotten in her rage as she faced her mother's killer. Her free hand twisted into a claw, nails pointing outward as she swung at his face. She missed. The Viking laughed as her small arm fell ridiculously short of it's goal. But that small distraction was all that was needed for the great cat to leap over the girl and hit the man full in the chest with his claws extended. The man howled in pain and went down, dragging Mara with him. She noticed blood pouring from his chest where the cat's claws had dug in as she struggled violently, trying to wrest her arm from his grip and claw his eyes out at the same time. _

_ The cat lunged for the big man's throat, hampered only slightly by the arm thrown up to block his jaws. The Viking released Mara and struggled with to free his short sword. Mara, thrown off balance by her sudden release, stumbled backwards and fell on her butt. _

_ Instantly, the child pushed herself up to attack again, just as the man managed to draw his sword, and the cat managed to rip out his throat. His arm flailed wildly in his death throws and the sword caught the small girl across the face._

_ Mara staggered backward, screaming as pressed her hand over her left eye. Through the red haze of blood and pain she saw the cat jump clear of the twitching body, blood streaming down his jaws and matting in the fur of his chest. It sniffed the weeping girl and gently licked her face. It was a futile gesture, the cut still bled freely and Mara was more terrified now than when the barbarian man had grabbed her. She didn't want to lose her eye! The cat nuzzled her again gently with it's nose._

_ Little one._

_ Mara jerked her head around, looking for the source of the voice. _

_ In front of you little one. She looked with her one good eye into the golden eyes of the cat, momentarily rendered mute by shock. Get on my back. I'll carry you to safety._

_ Gingerly pulling her hand from her wounded eye she gripped his fur, wincing at the blood she smeared on his lovely coat, and pulled herself up onto his back. _

_ Hold on tight little one. The cat said gently. You'll be safe now. My name is Kai and I'm taking you back to my family. Too numb to feel anything, Mara hung on as Kai loped gently off toward the forest, leaving the sounds of battle behind her. _

"Mara," A voice called gently but insistently. "Mara."

She moaned and rolled over, then instantly wished she hadn't. Her head felt like it had been used as a drum for the last few days. "Wha...?" She asked incoherently.

"You've been out for over a day." Said a pleasant sounding tenor voice. A hand slid behind her head, lifting it slightly as a wet cloth was pressed to her lips, dripping water into her mouth. "We were beginning to worry about you."

Mara opened her eyes, the last of her dream fading as she stared up into dark eyes filled with concern.

"Welcome back." Velkan said softly.


	11. Mara and Velkan have a talk

Disclaimer: Bla bla bla, I own nothing, much to my dismay. ::Sniff::.

A/N: I have to apologize. For some weird reason this isn't letting me make the little arrows that signify Kai's speach, so you just have to keep an eye out for it. For some reason i also can't make things go bold either and Italics already represent thoughts. Also for some reason it won't let me indent. Bear with me and i'll reload it later. Thank you.

* * *

Chapter 11:

"Welcome back." Velkan said lightly, trying to hide his relief. Mara had been out for more than a day and a part of him worried she would not wake up at all. Now the woman stirred in his arms and moaned as even that small motion sent lances of pain through her skull.

"What happened?" She groaned, shifting slowly until her back was propped up against the wall.

"Dracula happened." He said flatly, snaking an arm around her shoulders, when he saw her squirming and helped her move into a more comfortable position. "You attacked him and he tossed you into the wall." His voice raised a little, the fear he had been trying to hide crept into his words. "How could you have done something so stupid?! You could have been killed!"

Mara turned her green eyes on him, staring at him intently. To his surprise he didn't find any trace of anger or resentment towards him for his words. Only curiosity.

"I remember now. I didn't attack _him_. I tackled _you_." Velkan looked down ashamed, remembering now how easily he had fallen under Dracula's sway. "Why did you go to him like that?"

"The Count has the ability to control men's minds. He is especially adept at controlling the minds of wolf-men." Mara blinked slowly, confused.

"I would have thought it the other way around. That wolves would give him more difficulty." There was a hacking sound behind them that drew their attention. Kai was laughing.

Wolves are easily swayed by the promise of a warm hearth and a steady meal. It was how they were so easily tamed into dogs in the first place. Velkan felt the hair on the back of his neck rise and his lips pull back in a snarl, but it was Mara who growled a challenge at the great cat.

"I happen to like dogs." She snapped at Kai. "And none of the ones who lived on our farm were anything less than full partners as we worked the land." Kai's ears pressed flat against his head and he lowered his nose to the ground, a gesture of submission.

Surely the dogs of your family were the exception. He conceded, laying his head down across his paws.

"You had a farm?" Velkan asked, his voice rising. He had assumed that she had been born and raised in the wild, the idea that she had once done something as civilized as farming shocked him deeply.

"You think I was born to The Cat's?" She asked him sharply, echoing his earlier thoughts. "I had a human family once, and we lived much as your soft villagers do now!" She answered hotly. As Velkan stared down at her, he thought he saw something other than anger flash through his eyes, an emotion he recognized only to well. It was grief.

At that moment they both became acutely conscious of his arm wrapped around her, and Mara fidgeted nervously. He smiled a little. It was the first time he had ever seen her less than poised when she wasn't sleeping or unconscious. He pulled her closer, enjoying this rare moment.

"You shouldn't move so much. You've had a nasty bump to the head." He told her, smiling mischievously.

"Then stop moving me." She snapped back acidly. From the shadows came Kai's low warning growl. Velkan chuckled and relaxed his grip on her, fixing a makeshift pillow out of her pack with his free hand before lowering her gently onto it. She did not fight him, which probably meant she was in more pain than she was letting on. The thought sobered him and he resolved to be more careful of her.

He moved to the mouth of the cave to start a small fire and cook the rabbits he had caught earlier that day while she was unconscious.

"Were you hurt?" He heard her asking Kai tenderly and Velkan felt a flash of jealousy that she did not ask that of him. He quickly pushed the errant emotion aside and continued cooking the rabbits.

No dearest. I will limp for a bit from the landing but other than that I am unharmed. I worry more for you. You were asleep for most of the day and when the young wolf looked at you, you had a large bump on the back of your skull.

Though still bent over the fire, Velkan knew that Mara was lifting her hand to feel the back of her head. A few moments later he heard the sharp intake of breath as she found the offending lump.

"Don't touch it." He told her gently as he gutted and skinned the rabbits. "You may make it worse."

"I don't think that's possible." She said hoarsely. He put aside his grisly task to turn and face her.

"I have seen stronger men die from such blows." He told her severely. "And I don't want to see you join them so please just lie still." He returned to cooking and missed the puzzled look she directed at his back.

"Tell me about your farm." He asked trying to strike up conversation.

"It is nothing to talk about." She told him tersely. "I used to live on a farm, now I don't." They lapsed back into silence. Finally Velkan spoke again.

"What happened to them?" He heard sudden movement behind him and then a slow but steady stream of Gaelic that he strongly suspected was mostly swear words. He spun around to see what had caused them and saw Mara, sitting upright and clutching her head. He guessed she had sat up to fast in reaction to his question. Kai moved over to nuzzle her gently.

Moving the meal out of the fire he moved back over to her and wrapped his arms around her, ignoring Kai's warning growl and dirty looks.

She pulled against him as he tightened his hold on her.

Stop that!" He ordered, exasperated. "I'm not going to bite, but if you don't stop moving so much you could make your injury worse."

The girl glared at him but stopped struggling as he propped her back up. "Now, why such a reaction to an honest question?" Mara stared at him saying nothing. He sighed and went back to cooking the rabbits.

"My family has lived here for over four hundred years." He told her conversationally after a long interlude of silence. "We've been here since before the time of Dracula."

"Really?" Mara asked, genuine interest in her voice. "Then do you know how he came to be like he is." Velkan nodded soberly.

"He was killed, four centuries ago, and made a pact with the Devil for another life."

Mara tilted her head to one side. "He made a deal with the evil one?" She repeated. "To cheat death."

"Yes." Velkan said, after taking a moment to figure out odd wording. "He made a pact with the devil to live again, forever."

Mara, sensing a good story, relaxed against the wall and stared at him with rapt attention. "Then what happened?"

Velkan smiled. She seemed more like a young girl waiting to hear a bedtime story and not at all like the wild woman and warrior he had seen over the last few days. "I've told you this story before." He told her lightly.

"Not like this, where everything happens in order. So far I've gotten bits and pieces that make little sense. I know he is a bloodsucker but I don't know why or how he became that or how you fit into this fight against him."

Velkan laughed softly. "That last one is easy to answer. Dracula was one of the sons of Valerious the Elder. When he found his son had turned into something so evil, he went to Rome and prayed to God for absolution for fathering such an evil man. While he was there he was told that absolution would be granted to him and the rest of his family if they killed Dracula." He skewered one of the rabbits in the fire and turned to hand it to Mara. She took and bit into it hungrily, ignoring the heat. "We can not enter the gates of heaven until we accomplish this." He finished, sorrow weighing in his voice.

Mara looked up, a bit of cooked rabbit clinging to her lower lip. She wiped it off absently. "I think I would like to hear the whole story, from the beginning."

Velkan sat back and began the tale.

* * *

Mara lay against the wall, the remains of the cooked rabbit laying beside her. Velkan had finished his tale, swept the remains of the fire out of the cave and gone to bathe in the stream, leaving Mara to think about all that she had just been told.

Interesting. Kai rumbled from the corner.

"What is?" She asked.

His story. Do you realize that this means the bloodsucker is related to him? Kai asked.

"Only distantly." Mara defended. "And they are so far apart that they only share the barest amount of blood."

Still, Kai mumbled, distracted by some thought. It makes me wonder….

"Wonder what, dear heart?" She asked him curiously. Kai laid his head back down on his paws and said nothing more. Mara sighed and closed her eyes in her own contemplations knowing that nothing would get information out of a determinedly silent cat.

A moment later she heard footfalls inside the cave and opened her eyes. Velkan had returned. His wet hair clinging to the sides of his face and his dark eyes piercing the darkness as he stood with his back to the setting sun, framed in a halo of red-gold light that made it seem as if he were outlined in fire. She watched him attentively as he moved deeper into the shadows of the cave and sat across from her, not three feet away.

"Enjoy your dinner?" He asked, smiling a little. Mara nodded.

"Yes, and the story." The smile left Velkan's face and Mara found herself wishing she could bring it back.

"I'm glad you enjoyed it, but it's not just a story. It's my life, and my families." Mara nodded.

"I know. And as I said earlier, we want to help."

"Why?" He asked, suspicion back in his voice that made Mara bristle. They had fought together, she had saved his life! And still he distrusted her.

"Because I choose to." She answered sharply. "And because I was bored staying in the Fairy lands."

"'The fairy lands'" He echoed. "That's the second time you have mentioned them. You know all about me and my family now and we…I know nothing of yours. I think it's your turn to tell a story." She glared at him and he glared back.

"I've told you about me." She said, reaching her hand out to stroke Kai's ears as he growled softly.

"Not the whole story." Velkan countered, then his voice softened a little as if remembering that they had fought together and been friends, if briefly. Mara realized that most of his suspicion must be habit. She looked down at Kai and opened that part of her mind that let him speak to her and her alone.

I think we should trust him, little sister.

You do? Mara asked, shock vibrating through her mental voice. You are always the one advising caution.

I know, but this time…I think we must trust him if we are to survive here. There are too many dangers of which we know nothing and we can not even speak the language.

She considered Kai's words, then nodded slowly. Turning to Velkan she asked. "What do you want to know, that I have not already told you?"

"What happened to _your_ family." He asked her instantly. Mara swallowed a rising lump in her throat. This would be difficult, but she would answer him honestly as he had answered her.

"As you might have guessed already," She began. "I did not always live in the wild. I used to live on a farm with my father and mother."

She paused remembering the times when she had jumped through the stacks of hey in the barn, trying to catch the beams of light shining through the window as her mother milked the families placid cow. Or the time her father had taken her through the fields they farmed all the way to where they stretched to the cliffs edge, and shown her the sun rising from the water at dawn. She felt them with her even now and her throat choked with emotion. Something large and heavy sat beside her and she felt the weight of Velkan's arm go around her shoulders, holding her gently. She forced the lump back down and continued. Only a slight hitch in her voice.

"When I was eight, we were invaded. Men came across the sea wearing helmets bearing horns." She heard a sound come from next to her and fell silent, waiting for Velkan to finish speaking but he said nothing, only waited for her to go on. She continued.

"They slaughtered my parents and our animals and burnt our home and fields to the ground." Her mind flashed back to the bloody form of her mother, laying on the bed that she had shared with Mara's father. Mara had never found her father's corpse. Kai had told her later that he had seen the Vikings converge on him.

"My mother, when she saw the invasion was coming, pushed me into the cellar and pushed a clothing chest across the door, hoping I would be overlooked. I was, and I got out before the cottage burned. I ran across the fields toward the sea, I knew of some caves their where I could hide, it never occurred to me that the Vikings would know of them too." She felt Velkan tense beside her.

"Fortunately," She continued and felt him relax slightly. "I never made it to the seaside. Kai tackled me from behind and led me to the woods. That's how I got this." She ran a finger lightly down the pink scar across her eye. "While we were running, one of the men came up behind me and grabbed me. Kai leapt at him and killed him. As he died, he hit me with his sword."

A darkly tanned hand came into her field of vision and traced the edge of her scar. She shuddered. It was an unusual and unsettling to have him touch her like that, but at the same time, she didn't dislike it. Confused, she twisted her head away and the hand pulled back quickly, as if unaware of what it had been doing. She continued her narrative.

"Kai took me into the forest behind the farm, away from the fighting, and into the mists that led to the fairy lands. It was there I came across the beast people, the people who were there before the Sidhe. They had formed alliances with the great ones, the greatest of the beasts and they took me into their care. I was raised with them as Kai's partner." She wiped her eyes and pulled out of Velkan's arms, uncomfortable with her weakness. "And so here I am now. Any other questions?"

She watched as Velkan turned his piercing stare on her, or maybe it had been there all along and she was only just noticing it. She felt heat rising inside her and filling her, despite the cold air, and wondered at this strange new magic.

"I'm sorry." He said finally. The strange emotions rising in her were replaced with one far more familiar.

"Don't be." She said angrily. "I survived, and the ones who killed my family paid dearly for it. I saw to that as soon as I knew how to ride and wield a dagger."

Somewhat to her disappointment, Velkan did not grow angry at her words, but continued looking at her with eyes filled with compassion and not a trace of pity.

"I have one other question for you." He said finally as Mara shifted restlessly against the stone wall of the cave. "Your dagger, how did you come by it?"

She blinked, puzzled. "It was given to me by the holy ones, the Druids who live near us and work with us in times of trouble. Why?"

"When you were unconscious, I took it from you." He held up his hand as she opened her mouth to protest. "Hear me out please, I gave it back but I had nothing else to fight him with. Everything but the clothes on my back were washed away in river. I took your dagger and stabbed him with it, fully expecting to die, because as you know, nothing we have tried can kill him. But this was different. When it pierced his unholy skin, he burned, as if I had thrown holy water on him. Why is that."

Mara shrugged. "Maybe, because it is a holy weapon."

"Is that what the runes on it mean?" He asked her curiously. Mara started fidgeting again, very uncomfortable. _This is going to be embarrassing. _She thought.

"I don't know." She told him. "I can't read."

Velkan stared at her disbelievingly. "Your joking."

Mara growled at him and shook her head. "No. I never was able to sit still during the lessons when the druid priests taught us so I never learned. I can't read."

Velkan laughed then stopped sharply as he saw her glaring at him, ready to bite of his head, literally. "I could teach you to read English." He offered tentatively. "And speak Transylvanian if you would like."

Mara nodded wordlessly, genuinely shocked by his offer. "I would like that."

"Good." He said, and smiled at her causing her insides to jump. "We can start tomorrow. I'll take first watch."

"I have another idea." She told him tentatively. Not sure how he would react. "I may not know how to read runes, but I know what some of them can do. Specific ones, and one of the ones I did make sure to learn was the rune of protection. If you are willing to draw it in front of the cave, then I can tell you how to make it."

Her words were met with silence and for a moment she thought he would refuse, that he would not trust her pagan religion, but finally he said, "What do I have to do?"

Swallowing a sigh of relief, she handed him her precious dagger. "Take this and draw a line, pointing outwards, that branches off into three different paths, like so." She showed him with her hand, holding her first three fingers, spread evenly apart and running her other fingers down the back of the middle one to represent the strait line. "Have it point out into the forest and then draw a circle around it."

"That's all?" Velkan asked, surprise evident in his voice.

"Yep." Mara answered, humor dancing in her eyes. "No babies to sacrifice this time." She laughed as he growled at her and took a playful swipe at her with his hand, which she ducked, and went out to do as she asked.

"Are you sure that will do it?" He asked, when he came back in. She nodded.

"That dagger has been blessed by the eldest of the wise ones. It will keep us safe." She grabbed her dagger as he tossed it lightly to her and tucked it back in her hip sheath. "Good night, Mo Cridhe." She said sleepily as she lay down, her head pillowed by Kai's flank. She closed her eyes. "Tomorrow you teach me to read."

She heard him say something, but then sleep overtook her and she knew no more.


	12. Fun and lessons

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Character's from the movie Van Helsing, only Mara and Kai who are original characters of my creation and a giant purple duck.

To my patient fans: I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update. I'm trying to get a loan for my classes at college this semester and between that school and my job I've been a bit frazzled. Well here it is, enjoy.

Warning: For some reason I can no longer upload the little arrows that indicate telepathy, so now telepathic comments will be in bold. Sorry :(

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Chapter 12:

Velkan awoke to the sound of laughter. He opened his eyes and was momentarily disoriented by the sight of the cave until his memory returned. He looked around for Mara and Kai as he wiped the sleep from his eyes but found only an empty cave, the blanket and bag on which they had slept was rumpled and tossed aside. The two companions were no where in sight. Velkan tottered groggily to the edge of the cave following the sounds and stared out into the day.

Outside Mara was playing in the stream, splashing water wildly at a disgruntled Kai who paced warily around the edge of the bank. Her laugh filled him with an unfamiliar warmth as he watched them play, the winter sun splashing over the young woman's hair and lit it from within as he stared at her transfixed. The rays danced over her body much like the water she bathed in and he admired the sight of her as he walked forward, only the snapping of a twig marking his passing. It was a soft sound that should not have been heard but both Mara and Kai turned to face him.

"Didn't your mother ever teach you not to stare?" She asked pointedly. Velkan turned his head away while Mara reached for her clothes left lying on the grass.

"I swear to you," He told her, humor in his voice. "I didn't mean to. I just came outside to see where everyone had run off to and found you there." He heard a snort and the sound of rustling cloth behind him died down.

"You can turn around now." She told him. He turned back to face them. "So when do we start these lessons?" She asked him brightly. His brow creased in momentary confusion until he remembered that she was referring to the reading lessons he had offered last night.

"We can start as soon as we're done breakfast if you want." He told her and was rewarded to see her entire face light up with anticipation. "Don't look too excited." He warned. "Reading lessons probably won't be anymore exciting now than they were back when you were younger." He told her.

"Then we can skip them." She told him blithely. "To be honest I don't care so much about the reading lessons as I do about learning to speak a new tongue. I love languages." She paused and then added thoughtfully. "The spoken versions anyway," He smiled as he bent to search the forest floor for some fire wood. Very little had been left dry by the snow which meant they would have to find another way to light a fire.

"How could you stand the water?" He asked her bemused. "Last night it snows and this morning I find you playing in the stream as if it were summer."

"Trade secret." She said grinning as she broke a few branches off the trees, throwing them in the cave to dry out. Feeling impish, Velkan gathered up some snow into his hands and pressed into a ball. With her back still turned he aimed carefully and let fly. Mara yowled loudly as she jumped into the air, twisting around in midair and landing on her feet facing him with such a look of affronted anger that he burst out laughing.

"That wasn't funny." She growled. He nodded, tears streaming down his face as he howled with laughter.

"Yes it was!" He told her, still laughing. She grumbled something under her breath and began her own collection of broken branches and firewood. Velkan got himself back under control, still chuckling and turned to scan the trees for any already tried branches, when he felt two small hands slam into his back and send him tumbling face first into a snow bank. He pushed himself up and spun around to face this new attack, coughing and spitting out snow, and saw Mara and Kai watching him with identical expressions of amusement.

"Cheater!" He accused. "My back was turned."

"And mine wasn't?" She asked him, laughter ringing in her voice. Velkan shrugged carelessly.

"That's different." He told her.

"Hypocrite!" She shouted, her eyes sparkling with mischief as she scooped up another handful of snow and hurled it at his chest. He ducked and the motion sent him face first back into the snow drift as he tried to twist away from the missile. Mara laughed and grabbed another handful of snow as Kai gave him a toothy grin and crouched down, ready to pounce. Velkan laughed and jumped to his feet, filling both hands with snow as he did.

"Go ahead." He told them grinning. "I can take you both."

He fell backwards as another missile hit him squarely in the jaw and firewood was temporarily forgotten in the joy of play.

It was a while before Velkan, Mara and Kai finished there game and pulled themselves out of the snow. Mara looked up at the sky and saw the sun high in the sky. It was almost midday. She smiled at Velkan and was warmed to see him smile back at her. She laughed, for no other reason than the sheer joy of enjoying a bright day with good friends. She heard Velkan join her and for a moment she thought another snowball fight would break out when the sound of her own fiercely growling stomach distracted her.

"I think we need to get back to building a fire and finding breakfast." Velkan commented, still chuckling softly. To Mara he seemed much more laid back.

"I think your right." She said double checking to make sure her knife was securely belted at her waste. "You get the wood, I should be back shortly."

She took two step forwards and ran into Velkan's solid chest. She looked up into his face and found all traces of amusement gone.

"You can't go out there," He told her. She glared at him but before she could open her mouth to protest he continued. "You don't know the area and if you run into my sister or the village people on a hunt then you could get into trouble." She frowned and stiffened at the slur to her skills.

"If I don't want to be seen then I won't and even if by some slim miracle someone does manage to see me then I have Kai with me." Velkan shook his head, his eyes narrowing in frustration.

"I have no doubt you could take care of yourself in a fight, it's my people I worry for. I don't want them getting hurt because you were to stubborn to let someone who knows there way around do something for you!" She glared at him.

"Please, Mara." He pleaded, holding out his hand for her dagger. Her hand fell to the hilt automatically as she backed up a step. This dagger had not left her possession since the druids had gifted it to her. She watched his eyes soften, pleading as he would not do again in words. _I'm not the only one with too much pride. _She thought to herself and felt Kai's agreement in the back of her mind. "You should know you can trust me by now." He told her, gently reproachful.

She hesitated for a moment and saw his hand waver uncertainly, as if he did not believe she would relinquish her weapon. Finally, with one motion she drew the blade and tossed it into the air, catching the blade between thumb and forefinger as it came down and handed it to him hilt first.

"Bring it back." She told him sternly. "Or you'll wish the Bloodsucker had gotten you."

He grinned, a cocky look that made her almost want to smack him and then turned to lope off into the forest. She watched him until his back had disappeared among the trees and then looked down at Kai.

**Follow** **him**. She told him tersely. Kai nodded and silently padded off after the prince. She watched him disappear as well before turning back to breaking the dryer branches off the trees.

Crouching silently among the plants, Velkan watched the quivering pink nose emerge from it's hole and sniff tentatively at the air followed a few moments later by the rest of the young rabbit. Carefully he positioned the knife in his hand. The rabbit looked towards his hiding place and froze. Velkan waited, not a muscle moving as he waited to see what his prey's next move would be. He saw it's hind legs bunch and a strange bittersweet smell wafted into his nostrils. He could smell its fear. The rabbit took off, running towards its tunnel and Velkan sprang on it without thinking, the knife forgotten.

He moved with superhuman speed, catching the terrified creature in his hands. He could smell the blood pulsing through its vanes as it struggled to get away and it smelled good. He bent his head, prepared to bite it behind the neck and end its struggles when he felt something sharp and long puncture his ankle.

"Yeow! What the hell?"

He dropped the rabbit with a startled yelp and turned to face whatever had attacked him as the rabbit ran for the safety of its burrow. Kai looked up at him innocently, a bit of blood glinting on the tip of one exposed canine.

"What was that for?" He asked indignantly as he bent to examine his injured ankle.

**You almost succumbed**. Kai said simply. **And it's not yet time**.

Velkan looked up at him sharply, his face a shade lighter than normal. "What do you mean?"

Kai blinked slowly at him, then stood and walked passed him as if he had not spoken. Velkan stared at Kai's retreating back, resentment slowly replacing the apprehension. He scooped up this discarded dagger angrily and went back out into the woods to try again, aware this time of the eyes that followed his every movement.

The fire was lit and waiting for them when man and cat returned, along with a very impatient Mara, standing in front of the entrance with her hand held out expectantly. Velkan handed her the rabbit.

"Why don't you cook this like a good girl." He told her teasingly. The look she gave him frightened him more than Dracula, his brides and his minions combined. He handed her the dagger quickly. "Let me rephrase that." He corrected smoothly. "Since you have the only knife can you cook this?" Still frowning at him she took the rabbit and began skinning it.

He smiled at her. Was it his imagination or did he really see her cheeks redden. He looked down at clothes as he knelt by the fire and saw the rips and gashes in his pants. His shirt, designed more for everyday social wear, was down to the last few threads. His clothes had taken the same beatings he had without holding up as well, and yet –he didn't feel cold. _Courtesy of the werewolf venom._He thought to himself. He closed his eyes and laid his head back against the cool stone of the cave wall. _God, I'm tired. At least my fight will be over soon. I know Anna will find a way to kill Dracula._

The smell of burning meat invaded his senses and interrupted his thoughts. His eyes opened and he saw Mara pull two skewered pieces of meat out of the fire as Kai licked his paws clean of an earlier kill. He took the stick Mara handed him and blew on it gently to cool it, in contrast to the wild girl who took a large bite oblivious of the heat. He watched her for a moment, until she noticed his attention and looked up at him.

"What?" She asked quizzically.

"Why did you send Kai out with me?" He asked her.

She blinked, as if she had been expecting something else. "I sent him out with you because I didn't want you to be without help if the bloodsuckers showed up."

"They don't come out during the day, Mara." He told her. She shrugged her shoulders and concentrated on her dinner.

"I forgot." She said simply.

"The truth now Mara. You said you would trust me." He scolded.

She sighed and looked up at him again. "I do trust you… to a point." She told him, holding up her hand as he opened his mouth to forestall his protests.

"You would never willingly do something to endanger someone you work with, I know this now. But the last time Dracula visited us, you walked to him as if he was a trusted friend and ally."

"That was only once!" He protested. "I can fight it next time." His words sounded false even to his own ears.

"Are you sure?" Mara asked, pressing her point. "You said yourself that the wolves here are the bloodsucker's creatures. What would make you special?"

He had no answer so he didn't speak. He laid his head back against the wall, letting his dinner fall from his hands and closed his eyes. There was a scuffling sound in front of him, followed by a small hand resting lightly on his shoulder. This close he couldn't help but smell the scent of her, of wild things and trees and the winter breezes. Her scent calmed him and he opened his eyes to look at her.

"Will you still teach me to speak Romanian?" She asked him slightly timid.

He smiled and pulled her down next to him, pleased when she didn't resist. "We can start now if you would like." He told her.

"I would like that." She said, smiling back at him.

And so the lessons began.


	13. Midnight Visits

Authors Note: ::Is on knees pleading for forgiveness.:: I'm so sorry it took me so long to update, but I've been having problems with time and computer cooperation i.e. it refuses to work. Hopefully i'll get better though. Please don't hate me too much.

Disclaimer.: I think everyone already knows what goes here. If I owned any thing remotely linked to the movie than I wouldn't be a poor struggling college student. I'd be a rich struggling college student or at least a well off one.

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**Chapter 13**

Mara awoke abruptly, her eyes straining in the darkness as a dark sense of danger filled her. Beside her Velkan lay on the stone floor sound asleep with his back propped up against the wall in a position that would mean back pains in the morning. She turned her gaze to the place where Kai usually slept and saw the great cat had moved, standing at the mouth of the cave with his eyes fixed on something outside. Something that made each hair on his back stand on end.

What is it brother? She asked worriedly.

One of the bloodsuckers, He told her bluntly, Mara's hand fell automatically to the hilt of her dagger, gripping the ivory handle so tightly that her fingers turned white. Silently she turned and bent over Velkan's chest, tracing a complicated rune of sleep lightly over his chest with her free hand before moving to stand beside her brother.

Outside the moon and stars lay trapped behind a thick curtain of clouds. Mara's eyes peirced the dark veil revealing everything before her as if it were the brightest part of the noon day and she saw a slight figure standing just outside the wards Mara and Velkan had so carefully put in place was a pale red haired woman eyeing both cat and woman with malevolent interest.

"So you must be the ones my master spoke of. "The woman spoke in heavily accented English, her words taking on an almost musical lilt. "The one that is keeping our pet wolf from joining us."

Mara felt her upper lip curl reflexively. Velkan was no one's pet and Mara vowed silently that it would be an icy day in hell before she would let this whore lay hands on Velkan. Beside her Kai growled low and menacing. The pale woman took in the pair of them with an expression of growing amusement that made Mara's skin crawl.

"I do not believe we have been properly introduced." The vampiress purred. "My name is Aleera," She inclined her head gracefully in a mocking half bow. "And you are?" Mara remained silent.

"You are a foolish child," Aleera said softly. "If you hope to stand against my master and live." Mara and Kai mearly stared at her, unblinking and cool. Aleera hissed in anger and for a moment her lovely face became a hidieous pale reptile mask before turning back into the lovely beauty she disguised herself as. She stared at the two before her and smiled wickedly.

"You plan to keep him don't you?" Aleera laughed, a sound like chiming bells that grated against Mara's hearing like nails on slate. "You are even more foolish than you look. You and your little pet," The woman sneered down at Kai and Mara felt his muscles tense beneath the thick coat of fur. "You can not hope to defeat the great power of my master." The woman finished with a little flourish of her hands to indicate there level of ability, or lack of, as compared to Dracula.

Mara felt Kai prepare to launch himself at the vampiress and she pressed her hand down into the back of his neck, forcing him back down. As strong and fast as she knew he was, he was no match for a vampire.

"I think you should leave now," Mara said, forcing her words to be calm and collected.

"Who is going to make me?" Aleera asked, stalking the edge of the wards, looking for an opening. Mara drew her dagger.

"You think that silly bit of stone will stop me?" She laughed as her fangs lengthened noticeably and her skin was shading to an inhuman shade of white. "I will enjoy draining you wild one." She purred as if she could already taste Mara's blood flowing hotly down her ivory throat. "Your life will be a drink like few others."

She lunged at Mara with superhuman speed. Kai roared and Mara ducked quickly away, saved only by reflexes honed by nearly a lifetime of training with Kai. She heard something whiz past her ear and glanced up in time to see a fist sized stone strike the vampiress neatly between the eyes. Aleera howled in pain and clutched her head while Mara backed hastily away. A glance behind her and she saw Velkan standing at ready, another rock clenched in his fist.

"Leave!" He hissed at her, his face contorted in anger.

Mara watched the expression on Aleera's face twist momentarily into an ugly grimace of anger before stretching into a sly smile crossed Aleera's face. She launched into the sky murmuring back in Romanian. Mara only understood the word 'wolf'. She turned to Velkan for a translation and found him staring after the Aleera, his face tight with anger, his fingers wrapped so tightly around the rock that they were turned white. Aleera laughed cruelly and leaped skyward flying off into the night.

Velkan hurled the rock in his fist hurled after her, and watched it fall short to the ground. Without another word he turned and walked angrily back into the cave, his eyes smoldering with fury.

"Velkan?" She asked after him cautiously. "What did she say?"

"Nothing!" He growled sharply.

Mara sighed, debated whether or not to follow him and press her question and decided to pace the perimeter of the cave instead, retracing the protective runes scratched into trees and dirt with her dagger, renewing their power for the next attack. She painstakingly retraced the runes in the dirt, even though they stayed as constant as the ones inscribed in bark and stone thanks in part to the dagger she used. As long as she remembered to retrace them regularly, Dracula and his servants would have no power here. It was remembering them that would be the difficult part. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Kai pass her.

Where do you think your going? She asked him archly.

Hunting. He answered sparsly. She could feel the hunger burning in his mind and felt guilty. He had forgone hunting for her sake, so that she might be safe and had subsisted only on the food she and Velkan had brought back. Enough for three people to be sure but a cat, even one as special as Kai, could not exist on a meal supplimented by berries and roots. She watched him pass into the darkness without another word and finished with her work.

The darkness of the cave was ominously silent when Mara finally came back in. She scanned the cave and found the young gypsy prince standing at the back of the cave, his forhead pressed to the cold stone wall.

"Velkan?" She called to him softly. "What's wrong? What did she say to you?" She felt anger burn in her chest at the vampiress for doing this to him. Slowly she crept up to Velkan and rested a hand on his shoulder trying to turn him towards her. He shrugged her off angrily.

"What did she say to you?" She repeated. She felt him exhale slowly and his arms folded around his waist.

"She reminded me of something," He said softly.

"Of what?" Mara was confused. What had that bitch said to him to get him so worked up?

Velkan opened his mouth to speak, then apparently thought better of it. "I have to go, Mara."

She looked at him concerned. "Alright. We'll sleep out the rest of the night and then leave at dawn. That way Dracula and his whores can't follow us, at least not during the day." She amended. The young man shook his head, his dark locks brushing across his face.

"Mara," He began, haltingly at first, then with more confidence. "I need you to go to my sister and tell her what has happened to me. She needs to know what to expect." Mara nodded her understanding and Velkan looked up, staring off into the night.

Something in his voice made her suspicious. "What will you do while I go to see your sister?"

"I will go to Dracula." He told her quietly

"No!" She protested. "He would use you and--"

"But he would keep me away from the village," Velkan cut her off. "At least for a time, and that may be enough for Anna to find a way to...to take me down."

Anger and fear flooded through Mara in a wave.

"Why? Why do you just give up now?" She demanded angrily. "Are you such a coward that you would walk willingly into the enemies hands?"

His eyes focused on her face and she saw despair and some other emotion.

"I'm going to change soon," he said quietly. "And when I do I will kill everything around me starting with you. Just as my mother was killed by her father when he was bitten."

Her back straitened at his unwitting insult. "I am not so easy to kill," She told him stiffly. He shook his head and started past her.

"You don't understand." He growled at her, "Werewolves go after the people they knew best as humans with the most ferocity. I'm a threat to you and everyone else I love."

"No!" She screamed her denial. "You are the one who doesn't understand if you think for a moment that i'll let you go to that monster!"

_He loves me? _She thought surprised as frustration flashed across his face. He opened his mouth to argue and she leaned forward impulsively, stopping his words with her lips in a deep, passionate kiss. She felt him stiffen against her for a moment and then felt his arm curl around her waist, pulling her close.

Her body melted into his and she felt his arms tighten around her as he devoured her, kissing the corners of her mouth, her eyelids, her cheeks, the curve of her ear and the line of her neck. Her hands slid up his back and she felt the hard muscles of his back underneath the thin material of his battered shirt as his hands traveled down her back to her waist and slid up again to cup her breast. The feel of his hot breath against her skin caused tendrils of liquid heat to curl in her belly and she moaned softly.

A sharp high pitched squeel of tortured stone sounded behind them and Mara and Velkan jumped apart, Mara's hand going to the hilt of her dagger, ready for any threat.

Kai sat patiently before them in the cave's entrance, the corpse of a small fawn hanging from his jaws and four parallel lines in the stone directly in front of his unsheathed claws.

Have I come at a bad time? He asked dryly.


End file.
